What Comes After
by Bookfanx100
Summary: Page 48 of TAC the second partently figure in Holly Short's life dies. But what comes after? Slight R/V. Rated for character death.


**I really need to put something OTHER than a oneshot up in this fandom. And this is R/V. I personaly think R/V is like the cuteset thing ever. Even cuter than Grub/Vinyaya. Yup. I said it. SHOOT ME YOU CONVERTS OF KISTUNE HEART! XD Seriously, Kistune Heart, if you're reading this, you have easily converted over half of this fandom to G/V or V/G or whatever. Seriosuly, good job. I could only ever wish to be able to do something like that.**

**Root may be a bit OCC. I tried REALLY hard to avoid it, but it might have happened. So if you could tell me if you thought he was OCC or not in your reviews, I'd really appriciate it.**

**As much as wish, pray, hope, and plead, the concept of Artemis Fowl is not mine (even though all 7 personaly signed copied are)**

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"Four engines," the Mud boy said through rattling teeth. "F-f-four is death." Vinyáya felt her patience wearing thin. There was an space probe heading towards them at over 50 miles an hour and Fowl was muttering about the number four. She paused and turned to ask,

"Death? What's he talking about?" Then the orange plasma beam bubbled merrily and blasted into the shuttle engines. She could hear the centaur mumbling something under his breath,

"No, no, no. That's not right at all."

The words didn't even register in her brain. All that connected was the sight of he marines writhing in pain as they were burned inside the shuttle. Without thinking, she ran; trying to find a way to them through the fire. Images of their twisting bodies flashed through her head even after she had looked away. Vaguely, she heard Captain Short yelling her name and grab onto glove.

Then she felt nothing.

The engines exploded and she felt her self flying. She knew she should be feeling pain, but none was coming. _Shock,_ her solder's brain told her. _Either that or fatal injury to the central nervous system._ A warning was going off in her helmet.

_Injury to central nervous system. Calling 909. Try to be calm. Injury to central nervous system. Calling 909. Try to be calm._

Vinyáya died listening to Lily Frond's calm message.

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A calm feeling filled her up. She hadn't felt this calm in forever. Nothing seemed to worrying her. Shouldn't something? Something was always there to generally bug, preoccupy, or worry her. But there wasn't.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. It was clean. That in and of itself was odd. Nothing around Vinyáya was ever clean. Not her house or her office and Spud's Spud Emporium was definitely not clean. It unnerved her. There wasn't much in the room. In fact, there was literally nothing. Nothing but lots of mist and, _a lit __cigar?_

"Vinyáya, when are you going to get off the floor? You've been there for at least 5 minutes." No, it was too good to be true. It couldn't be true! Yet, there was no chance of mistaking that voice and fungus cigar.

Commander Julius Root stepped into view.

"You know, the thing I love best about this place," Root took a moments to exhale a cloud of greenish smoke, "No blabber-mouth centaurs." If anything, it was that phrase that got Vinyáya get up. It was so undeniably Root, she knew she wasn't imagining things.

Root looked less bulky than she had ever seen him. He was wearing, not his Commander's uniform, but a Captain's. The fungus cigar was clamped firmly in his teeth. Remarkably, him complexion was only red. Anyone but Vinyáya would have sworn it was the calmest the Commander had ever been.

"Julius?" Root frowned, but didn't snap back. "Is it really you?"

"No, I'm Hernan Cortez."

"Cortez. Very funny."

"I'm a crack up. Your point?" Vinyáya didn't answer and took her time getting to her feet.

"Am I dead?" she asked quietly. For once, Root almost look remorseful.

"Yes. You died in the engine explosion."

"And my men?"

"Dead too."

"Captain Short?" Root laughed. He actually _laughed_.

"Please Raine, do you really think an _exploding engine_ could kill her? She's survived a whole pack of trolls. A whole pack of trolls. In their natural habitat." Vinyáya nodded in agreement. It was a pity the DVD's Koboi had made were blown up with her shuttle. It would have made an excellent training video.

"Foaly?"

"Being the one who has to get an earful for once."

"Fowl?" The corner of Root's mouth twitched.

"The little Mud Boy has caught a little disease we like to call Atlantis Complex. You have to listen to some of the stuff his alter ego spouts. I never get tired of listening to it." Vinyáya smiled, but it quickly faded.

"I can't believe I'm gone. I can never go back to them. Never." Root, seeing Vinyáya's saddened face, plucked out his cigar and walked over to her.

"It's really not so bad here. You get to watch over everyone. I like it cause I can never be behind. Although it is maddening not being able to yell at people. Honestly, I would have given anything to slap the Mud Boy silly during their little fiasco with the trolls." Vinyáya smiled briefly and steeled herself. It would do no good to be sad over what had happened. It wasn't what had gotten her onto the city council, and it sure wasn't what was going to help anyone now.

"So what type of things are Fowl's alter spouting exactly?" she asked.

"Fairytales and fantasy. He never stops calling pony boy "Noble Steed". Sweet. Justice."

Vinyáya smiled and got ready to follow him. They walked through the mist for a while in silence, leaving a smokey green trail behind them. Vinyáya noticed the mist clearing and become less dense and stopped. Root looked at her and questioned her with his eyes. She threw her arms around him and held tight.

Root was shocked and didn't know what to do. He jus stood there staring at her, before slowly lifting one hand to pat her back.

"Thank you, Julius" Vinyáya whispered in his ear.

"No problem." he replied gruffly. Then after a moment, "And don't call me Julius."

Vinyáya removed her arms and backed up a bit. She motioned for Root to continue leading the way and they continued to walk, together, out of the mist.

Fin

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**Okay those idea of "after death" aren't really what I think happens, it's just I needed to make it like that for the story.**

**PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEPLEASE PLEASE PLeASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! And just a reminder, was Root OCC? I live off contructive critisim. Really, if you have that little of a life/if my writing was that bad, you can even flame. Just give me a review. STOP BEING LAZY!**


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